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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com